SINGAPORE - A new training programme and centre at ITE College East will teach mobile and Web application development to Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students.
Under a memorandum of understanding inked on Friday (March 25) between app development platform OutSystems and ITE, a three-year tie-up will see the company training ITE students and lecturers in low-code software development.
It is an approach that requires little to no coding to build software.
OutSystems will teach the students to quickly build applications with modern user interfaces and data.
About 1,000 ITE students, like 17-year-old Hervin Darmawan Sie, will benefit from the training.
The first-year Higher Nitec in IT Applications Development student was excited to tap the centre's resources and undergo the programme. He said they would give him an edge when he enters the workforce.
He said: "I think that low-code software will be the future. Industries and businesses will adopt it because it's way easier and faster than traditional (programming language) JavaScript."
The firm has been working with ITE students and staff on pre-trials since January to develop three mobile and Web applications for the healthcare sector.
One of the student-developed applications can predict a user's heart disease risk using artificial intelligence.
ITE chief executive Low Khah Gek said: "Through this collaboration, ITE will be able to leverage the OutSystems platform to develop relevant skill sets in our students and enable them to seize the opportunities in the growing applications development industry."
Students can work on projects and develop prototypes of their ideas with partners and customers of OutSystems and ITE.
Plans are also in the pipeline for OutSystems to work with partners and customers to offer internship to ITE students.
OutSystems Asia Pacific vice-president Mark Weaser said: "OutSystems chose to collaborate with ITE because Singapore is moving towards establishing itself as a technological hub while facing the challenge of a shortage in tech talents.
"And we believe that it's important to nurture talents by enhancing teaching and learning."
Speaking to the media at the signing on Friday in ITE College East, Minister of State for Communications and Information Tan Kiat How noted the importance of such partnerships between the tech industry and institutes of higher learning.
He said: "It gives our students the opportunity to understand the real-world needs and problems, and mobile and web applications are an important part of our tech eco-system in solving many of our real-life business problems that we see day to day."
